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Tag Archives: Insadong

Do you like stories from ancient times and far away countries? Then you want to know about the Dragon’s Beard Candy one.

The myth has it that Dragon Beard Candy made its debut in ancient China during the Han Dynasty when a court chef performed before the Emperor. The cook made candy out of sugar (or honey) turned into a dough like consistency. He pulled and stretched the dough until thousands of fine and sticky strands of sugar appeared. He then wrapped peanuts or chocolate with the powdery strands.

Since the fine strands looked like hair to the Emperor and because they were sticky enough to stick on one’s chin, the Emperor gave it the name Dragon’s Beard Candy.

Maybe you tell your kids (or your spouse ;)) the story before you go take them to see how they make Dragon’s Beard Candy in Insadong (neighborhood of Seoul) and then prove them that it really can stick on your chin and looks like an old dragon’s beard (if you wanna impress any further please learn how to spit fire.) —>

Here are two videos I took of the guys making Dragon’s Beard Candy in the streets of Insadong. They don’t only show you how it’s made but also perform for you by singing and counting along. If you ask me how I like the candy I would honestly say “get the one with peanuts in it” and “It is interesting but will definitely not replace my favorite candy in the world: German chocolate” 😉